Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Mick Abrahams Band - At Last (1972 uk, fascinating blues brass rock)



"Unlike most guitarists, Mick Abrahams' playing, blending sophisticated chord work with dazzling single-string breaks, goes beyond the distinction between lead and rhythm playing. You can hear echoes of many forms - Mick has a wide-ranging style drawing from jazz, country and western, rock'n'roll (ancient and modern) and he is also one of the most imaginative and sensitive exponents of bottlenecking.

Mick made his decision to go professional at the fitting age of 21, when his mother asked him whether he wanted a big party or a guitar to launch him into manhood; he chose the guitar, a Gibson SG that he still uses six years later, and shortly after formed his own band, the Original Hustlers, who played mostly Chuck Berry and Little Richard songs and what Mick laughingly refers to as "our own arrangements of Beatles' numbers". 
Beat Instrumental, February 1971

In 1970 Abraham's left the Blodwyn Pig, to be replaced by ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks and guitarist/singer Larry Wallis. The group continued on under the leadership of Lancaster, although it was eventually renamed Lancaster's Bomber. Initially Abraham's formed a new group called Wommet; it was very short-lived, however, so he reorganized his career around the Mick Abraham's Band, with Walt Monaghan on bass, Bob Sargeant on guitar, keyboards and vocals, and Ritchie Dharma on drums. He released two albums on Chrysalis, Mick Abraham's and At Last, with his former Blodwyn Pig bandmate Lancaster expanding the lineup to a quintet. Neither sold very well, although Abraham's was never at a loss for paying gigs. 
by Bruce Eder
Tracks
1. When I Get Back (Mick Abrahams, Bob Sargeant) - 5:04
2. Absent Friends (Bob Sargeant) - 4:48
3. Time Now To Decide - 2:28
4. Whole Wide World - 3:53
5. Up And Down (Part 1) - 2:00
6. Up And Down (Part 2) - 2:15
7. Maybe Because - 8:01
8. The Good Old Days (Bob Sargeant) - 4:14
9. You'll Never Get It From Me (Bob Sargeant) - 3:36
All songs by Mick Abrahams except where stated

Personnel
*Mick Abrahams – Lead, 7-String , Slide, Pedal Steel Guitars
*Bob Sargeant - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Keyboard
*Walt Monaghan - Electric Bass
*Jack Lancaster - Flute, Clarinet, Soprano, Tenor Saxophone
*Ritchie Dharma - Drums, Percussion

1969  Blodwyn Pig - Ahead Rings Out (2006 remaster and expanded)
1970  Blodwyn Pig - Getting To This
1971  Mick Abrahams - Mick Abrahams

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5 comments:

  1. Incredibly overlooked album,as is the previous A MUSICAL EVENING WITH THE MICK ABRAHAMS BAND,which for me continue what Mick was doing with Blodwyn Pig.

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    1. Replying to myself here! I think the Blodwyn Pig albums are every bit as great as Jethro Tull and I LOVE Jethro Tull. Mick may have wanted to play blues but BP are not blues by numbers. They are plenty progressive. And both albums made the UK top ten,showing they could have given Tull some competition. What's strasnge is the commercial failure of the two Mick Abrahams Band albums,in my opinion as great as the BP stuff.

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  2. There is 2 Albums by Mick I can't seem to find. 65 and back with the blues. Any help would be appreciated.

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  3. "Mick Abrahams Band - At Last 1972", reposted..

    ReplyDelete